National Republican., 1887-01-17
BROKEN PIECES OF THE SHIP.
THE GREAT GOSPEL SHIP IS THE FINEST
VESSEL OF THE UNIVERSE.
DIR. Talmage in His Sermon Says You
Could no More Wreck 1t Than You
Could Wreck the Throne of God
Almighty.

BROOKLYN, Jan. 16.--For many years the
Brooklyn Tabernacle, the largest Protestant
church in America, has been thronged twice
on the Sabbath, every available inch occupied,
even the aisles, pulpit stairs, and doorways,
and multitudes going away unable TO get in.
Dr. Talmage recently announced to his con-
gregation that, If the present building could be
sold for an academy of music, another church,
one holding ten thousand people, would be
erected. This morning. after expounding the
Scriptures, he gave out the hymn
SINNERS, turn. Why will ye dle2
God. your Maker, asks you why"
The subject OF the sermon WAS Broken
Pieces of the Ship" and the text Acts xvii, A:
"Some on broken pieces Of the shio-" DR..
Talmage spoke as follows:
Never off Goodwin Sands, or the Skerries or
Cape Hatteras was ship In worse predicament
than In the Mediterranean hurricane was the
grain ship on which 276 passengers were driven
metropolis @ Of that island, called Citta Vecchia.
After a two weeks tempest, and the ship was
entirely disabled, and captain aud crew had
sionary took command Of the vessel. He was
small, crooked backed, and sore eyed, accord
ing to tradition; It was Paul, the only nnscared
rociydon tossing the Mediterranean sea- now
up to the gates of heaven and now sinking IL
to the gates Of hell than he was afraid OF
kitten playing with string rs ,s tnem nr
them a blessing. Then he insured all their
lives, telling them they would be rescued, and,
so far from losing their heads, they would not
lose so much of their hair as you could cut OIL
with one click of the scissors; aye, not thread
oft, whether i were gray with age or golden
with youth; "There shall not hair fall from
Knowing that they can never get TO the de-
sired port they make the sea on the fourteenth
night black with overthrown cargo, SO that
lAW. Nl,n naIt al NntI mn - Qp
heavily. At daybreak they saw creek, and
in their exigency resolved to make for 1t.
And so they cut the cables, took Ia the two
paddles that they had on these old boats, and
hoisted the main sail, so that they might CO ne
with such force as to be driven high up on the
beach by some fortunate billow. There she
goes-tuinbling toward the rocks, now prov
foremost, now stern foremost, now rolling
over 10 starboard, now wave dashes clear
over the deck, ana Il seems as II the old crah
Paul's arm around the mast, he cries, All Is
well. God has given me all those that sail
with me-" Crash went the PROV with such
the timbers till the seas rushed through from
side 10 side OF the vessel. She parts amidships,
and into thousand fragments the vessel goes,
and into the waves 2'6 immor.ais NOR, are precipi'
the seashore and had learned TO swim, and
with their chin just above the waves and by
stroke of both arms and propulsion of both
feet they put out for the beach and reach 1t.
hut, alas, for those others They have never
learned TO swim, or they were wounded by the
falling of the mast, or the nervous shock was
too great for them And others had been
weakened by long sea sickness.
Oh, what will become OF them2 Take that
piece OF O rudder," says Paul TO one. Take
that fragment Of o SPAR" says Paul TO another.
Take that table; take that image of Castor
and Pollux; take that plank from the liieboat;
take anything and head for the beach," What
struggle for life in the breakers Oh, the
merciless waters, how they sweep over the
heads Of men, women, and children Hold
on there Almost ashore; keep up yops cur.
ngel Remember what Paul told YOU There,
the receding, wave on the beach Leaves
in the sand a whole family. There
crawls out of the surf tho centurion.
There another plank comes in with a
life clinging fast to IT,, There another piece of
the shattered vessel with its ireightage OF an
immortal soul. They must by this time all be
saved. Yes, there comes in last of all, for he
had been overseeing the rest the old mission
nry, who wrinRs the water from his gray be lrd
and cries out "Thank God, all are here .
Gather them around u fire and call the roll,
Paul builds fire. ana when the bundles of
sticks begin to crackle, aud, standing aud
sitting around the blaze. the passengers
teRin to recover from their chill. and
the wet clothes begin TO dry and warmth be.
gins TO come into all tie shiverng passengers,
let the pufser OF the vessel go round and see II
any of the poor creatures are missing. Not
1ne Of the crowd that were plunged Into the